Laney saw Whitewing walk side by side with Birchfall, their heads close together. She rolled her eyes.
The Gathering was tonight and ThunderClan was heading to the Gathering. Bramblestar decided to bring Thornclaw, all the new mentors and their new apprentices, and Sandstorm and Graystripe.
"Do you think Ivypool will have her kits while we're gone?" Kon whispered in her ear.
"No." Laney wasn't certain, but she didn't feel like talking to Kon. "I'd rather walk in silence."
Laney sped ahead. She was happy to know Ivypool, at least Ivypool wasn't as vain and hollow-headed as other cats like Daisy and Squirrelflight.
But I want to go home, back in Peaceville where we have gigs and avoid Trina and kiss Corey and...well, I'm still with Corey.
Laney's fur bristled and her tears felt like acid burning through her and tearing her apart.
"I can't believe Bramblestar let you go to the Gathering!" Larry said as he trotted beside Carrie.
"Why wouldn't he?" Carrie growled softly. "I'm his best apprentice!"
"No one will argue about that!" Kim added while Konnie nodded.
Only because everyone is afraid to
"You kidding?" Corey laughed. "I'm the best apprentice!"
Nevermind
Carrie whirled around and bared her fangs at Corey.
"Don't forget you are afraid of him." Carrie snarled into Corey's ear. "For your's and Laney's sake!"
Carrie ran off.
"Who's 'him'?" Laney whispered to Corey.
"Nobody!" Corey's eyes lowered to the ground.
Laney didn't believe him, but she didn't say anything else the entire walk.
All the apprentices were startled when they saw the tree-bridge. Laney even saw a glance of fear from Carrie before she quickly hid it.
"What if we fall?" Larry trembled.
"Just climb!" Berrynose hissed.
Larry ran on in a panic and slipped. Before he could land in the water he hooked onto the tree with his claws.
Berrynose brought Larry back up and shoved him ahead.
"Hurry up, mouse-dung!" Berrynose growled.
"After you." Corey purred.
Laney smiled weakly, still sad from her homesickness. She climbed up and teetered her way through the bridge till she landed almost smoothly.
"Good job, Adderpaw!" Corey called.
The rest of the cats went through the tree in groups of two to three, nobody falling.
Laney felt bad for Larry as Berrynose scolded him. Carrie rounded on Berrynose.
"He's learning!" Carrie snapped. "Don't belittle him!"
"Um, Skypaw?" Konnie whispered. "Look."
Carrie turned around and saw all the Clans were watching her.
Her pupils turned to little dots and her tail dropped.
"Learning!" a RiverClan tom laughed. All the other cats laughed with him.
Carrie's teeth bared into a snarl.
Carrie ran as swift as a snake and slammed the tom across the clearing. Many cats gasped and before any of them could move, Carrie leaped and pinned the tom. She shoved his face into the dirt.
"LITTLE RAT!" Carrie roared. "DON'T YOU DARE MESS WITH ME!"
Laney flinched. When she saw Carrie's eyes, they were not her's. Instead, sharp amber eyes full of hatred and revenge lit up. And her voice wasn't her's either, instead it was a blade-sharp screech that sent shudders through all the pelts in the area.
That wasn't Carrie!
"STOP!" Bramblestar pulled Carrie off of the tom and faced her. "This is a Gathering, and there is a truce! Do NOT fight during the full moon!"
"Frogpaw!" a tortoiseshell she-cat yanked the tom by the scruff and pulled him towards her. "Apologize to this apprentice!"
The tom looked angrily at Carrie, but sighed.
"Sorry." he whispered.
Carrie's head tilted, and she looked confused.
"Sorry about what?" Carrie asked. "You're good, buddy. You didn't do anything! C'mon, let's go, Larry."
Carrie walked to the traumatized Larry and pulled him to the other cats.
"Learning!"
"She's crazy, Pumastar. She's a monster."
"It's a shame she'll never be a formidable warrior, now that she's broken the code."
"Broken the code, broken the code, broken the code"
"STOP!" Carrie screamed into the void of voices.
"Mama, help us!"
"What?" Carrie than felt water slam into her and she screeched for air. She gasped when she saw three kits drowning in the same body of water.
"I'll save you!" Carrie threw herself at one of them, but they disappeared into the water.
"She's a monster."
"Pathetic little fox-heart."
"I never loved her."
"STOP!"
Carrie was startled when she found herself on top of a white tom with a black paw. His eyes were filled with fear.
"Frogpaw!" a she-cat cried. "Apologize to this apprentice!"
"Sorry." Frogpaw whispered.
Carrie looked across the Gathering, she was confused.
"Sorry about what?" Carrie asked. "You're good, buddy. You didn't do anything! C'mon, let's go, Larry."
Carrie felt her heart hurt when she saw Larry's petrified face. What did she do?
"Are you alright, Beetlepaw?" Carrie whispered. "What did I do?"
"You just bumped into him, that's all." Larry chuckled.
Carrie narrowed her eyes.
"That can't be it." Carrie growled. "Nevermind, let's go."
"Adderpaw! Meet Morningpaw and Leopardpaw!"
Corey trotted eagerly to the apprentices he just met, Laney following behind.
"Are you related to that cat that just attacked Frogpaw?" Morningpaw asked Corey.
"Nope." Corey was oblivious to the tension in the area. "So how is your training?"
"Just fine." Morningpaw answered. "Just had an assessment two sunrises ago, I think I'll become a warrior in at least two moons."
"Cool!" Corey purred. "I-"
"Out of the way, losers!" a gray she-cat shoved her way between Corey and the two RiverClan she-cats. Corey got up and him and Laney gasped in union.
"TRINA!" they both gasped.
"Who?" Leopardpaw muttered.
"And watch this."
Nick flipped in the air and scored his claws twice before landing smoothly. Many cats were watching and gave meows of approval.
Rowanstar tapped Nick's shoulder sharply.
"Raggedpaw!" Rowanstar growled. "Quit showing the other Clans battle moves!"
"Why, they like it!" Nick whispered.
"Because then they can use our moves in battle, you mouse-brain!" Rowanstar snarled. "Just keep your jaws shut till the Gathering starts!"
Trina grabbed Rowanstar and growled.
"DON'T YELL AT HIM!" Trina roared. She shoved Rowanstar into a tree and walked off. Mina ran to Trina.
"Trina, that was the ShadowClan leader!" Mina gasped.
"The what now?" Trina muttered. "I don't have time for this, bye!"
Nick stared in horror and tip-toed away.
Both Trina and Mina are here, Trina will never leave me alone!
Bramblestar climbed onto the tree, joining Mistystar and Onestar. Rowanstar joined them too.
"The Gathering is about to start!" Rowanstar called. All the cats were silent.
"I'll go first." Onestar meowed. "We have two new apprentices, Falconpaw and Sheeppaw!"
"Falconpaw! Sheeppaw!"
"And Heathertail has just had her kits." Onestar purred, making no mention of what happened when they were born. "My mate, Larkwing, is expecting kits as well."
The cats of WindClan cheered.
"Duskfur and Havenheart are both expecting kits." Mistystar announced. "Anabell's kits have gone missing, and if one of you has them, please return them to their Clan immediately."
"We would never steal kits!" Weaselfur snarled. Cats yowled in agreement.
"SHUT UP!" a ragged Siamese she-cat cried. Bramblestar recognized her as the mother. Anabell. She looked like she hadn't cleaned up in days and her eyes were wild.
"GIVE ME BACK MY KITS!" Anabell wailed. She flung a claw at Weaselfur before falling down with grief. Reedwhisker, her mate and the father of her kits, lead her away and whispered soft words.
"Weak fish-hearts!" Tigerheart muttered. "Can't even keep their queens together."
"We have three new apprentices, Raggedpaw, Hazelpaw, and Rainpaw!" Rowanstar announced.
"Raggedpaw! Hazelpaw! Rainpaw!"
"At least new life goes on." Rowanstar added. "A half-moon ago, ThunderClan killed Snowbird's youngest kit, Mintpaw. In a battle they started!"
"YOU STARTED THE BATTLE!" Thornclaw roared. "You attacked us first!"
"We smelled your scent on our borders!" Tigerheart yowled.
"We have eight new apprentices, and a new litter of kits." Bramblestar growled over Tigerheart. "Soulpaw, Adderpaw, Skypaw, Beetlepaw, Bigpaw, Lizardpaw, Mothpaw, and Acornpaw!"
ThunderClan cheered, but it quickly silenced when they realized no one else was cheering.
"My mate Squirrelflight, had kits. Their names are Badgerkit, Dustkit, and Firekit." Bramblestar added.
"Great, now I know which cats to kill to avenge my daughter!" Snowbird yowled.
"YOU WILL NOT KILL MY KITS!" Bramblestar yowled, pointing at Carrie with one claw. "SHE KILLED HER, SHE DID!"
Carrie froze when she saw Bramblestar's shining claw pointing at her. All the Clans looked at her and Hollowpaw lunged at her.
"YOU KILLED MY SISTER!" Hollowpaw yowled. "HOW COULD YOU?!"
"Get off me, or I'll kill you too!" Carrie snarled.
The whole Clan gasped.
"Calm down, you idiots." Carrie shoved Hollowpaw off of her. "I wouldn't really do that!"
"Keep her away from me!" Troutpaw cried, getting close to his mother.
"SILENCE!" Bramblestar snarled. "THIS MEETING IS OVER!"
Corey was behind a tree, shaking and crying.
Laney approached him.
"It wasn't your fault that Rowanstar's so stupid." Laney growled. "You can't keep blaming yourself."
"But it was my fault!" Corey whimpered. Whitewing walked to Laney.
"You two need to follow ThunderClan back now." Whitewing whispered. "Don't get me wrong, me and Birchfall mated behind these trees a few times, but you two can wait till you're warriors."
Corey looked at Whitewing in disgust.
"We weren't going to mate!" Laney snapped. "I was comforting him!"
"Comfort mating?" Whitewing asked.
"NO!" Laney snarled. "Let's go, Soulpaw."
Carrie hung her head in shame as her and Larry walked back side by side.
"Wait." Larry whispered, his ears erect.
"What is it?" Carrie said softly. Larry took off in the direction of WindClan and brought back some leaves.
"Berrynose!" Larry called. "Found catmint!"
"Warriors don't collect catmint!" Berrynose muttered, smacking the leaves out of Larry's mouth. "Get back over here!"
Larry sighed and walked back to the group.
"Sorry, I thought that was smart of you." Carrie whispered in Larry's ear.
Larry touched his nose to Carrie's cheek.
"Thank you." he whispered softly. Their pelts meshed together as they walked side-by-side. Carrie felt better breathing in Larry's scent as they headed back.
Laney entered the camp.
"Ivypool?" Laney called.
Nobody answered back. Panic crept Laney's body.
"IVYPOOL!" Laney cried. Laney ran to the Nursery and saw Squirrellflight's kits screeching as Squirrelflight was swiping at Ivypool while Rosepetal and Lilyheart were holding her back.
"GET OFF HER!" Laney clawed Squirrelflight's nose and she hissed. Squirrelflight fell back.
"What was she doing to you?!" Laney put her paw on Ivypool's shoulder.
"She jumped at me because I didn't want to play with her kits!" Ivypool whispered.
"THEY'RE MY KITS, THE MOST IMPORTANT KITS IN ALL THE CLANS!" Squirrelflight roared. "BRAMBLESTAR!"
"Not this time." Rosepetal slammed Squirrelflight to the ground and Lilyheart sat on her face, muffling her screams.
The kits started squeaking.
"Shh, hush kits!" Laney whispered. "They were just playing, and it got out of hand...er, paw."
"Oh, sorry!" Dustkit meowed.
"We thought they were fighting!" Firekit squeaked.
"They're playing!" Badgerkit said.
Laney purred and petted the kits with her paw. Badgerkit landed on his back and swiped Laney's paw while Dustkit and Firekit jumped at Laney's tail.
"You want me to play with kits for you, I will. OK, Ivypool?" Laney turned around. Ivypool was silent and her eyes were full of grief.
"Ivypool?" Laney repeated.
"Yes, thanks for everything. I love you, Adderpaw. Thanks for being my friend." Ivypool laid down and closed her eyes.
Laney felt taken aback by Ivypool's sudden compassion.
Oh no, does that mean she's about to do something and I'll never see her again?